Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the field of implantable orthopedic medical devices. More particularly, but not exclusively, embodiments of the present invention relate to implants for revision acetabular surgery.
Joints often undergo degenerative changes that necessitate replacing the joint with a prosthetic joint. For example, the hip joint may be replaced with two bearing surfaces between the femoral head and the acetabulum. The first bearing surface is often a prosthesis shell or acetabular cup having a liner that provides an inner bearing surface that receives and cooperates with an artificial femoral head in an articulating relationship to track and accommodate relative movement between the femur and the acetabulum.
In at least some instances, a second or subsequent surgery may be performed to replace a prosthetic joint with another replacement prosthetic joint. Such replacement of the original prosthetic joint may be performed for a number of reasons including, for example, the need to remove diseased or degenerated bone. Further, these additional surgeries often require the replacement of the original prostheses with a larger or enhanced prosthetic joint, often referred to as a revision prosthesis. With respect to acetabular revision surgery, an acetabular prosthesis may include additional mounting elements such as, for example, augments that provide additional support and/or stability for the replacement prosthesis. These additional mounting or attachment members are often required due to bone degeneration, bone loss or bone defects in the affected area (i.e., the hip joint). Moreover, such bone deficiencies or defects often present challenges in attaining optimized and structurally sound prosthetic fixation to the host bone. Accordingly, mounting members may be provided in conjunction with a prosthesis system in order to aid the surgeon in achieving optimal fixation of the prosthetic joint, or a component of the prosthetic joint, to a bone of the patient.
Prior attempts to provide such mounting attachments (i.e., augments) with modularity have often fallen short, and instead typically provide a few discrete positions at which the mounting members may be positioned. For example, an ongoing challenge is to align implantable medical devices such as, for example, reconstructive devices, to the natural physiology of a patient. Proper alignment often may at least assist in attaining optimal wear resistance and optimal performance for many devices. Yet, patient anatomical variations present challenges in providing a medical device that may be properly aligned for each patient. For example, contemporary medical devices that address complex revision acetabular surgery may include multiple buttress augment designs that are dedicated for supporting particular sides or areas of the acetabular cup. Yet, the buttress surface of augments is typically shaped or contoured along a fixed angle or angles. Further, such fixed angles often provide an optimal match for the variations for only some patients' anatomies, and may not allow for an optimal match with other patients' anatomies.
Limitations relating to the available angles at which augment devices may be aligned, as well as augment devices having separated hand or orientation designations, among other limitations, often provide obstacles to both the installation and cost of these types of implantable medical devices. For example, medical implants that are provided in multiple directional or hand orientations may add complexity to the surgical procedure. Moreover, the time associated with at least the selection and confirmation that the correct hand side configuration of the medical device has been selected for implantation in a patient may reduce the time available to the surgeon to attain proper alignment and/or positioning of all of components of the medical device during the implantation procedure. Additionally, different hand configurations may increase the costs associated with procuring, storing, and/or otherwise having readily available an appropriate quantity of implantable devices. Moreover, the time and effort during surgery to properly match the fixed angles of buttress surfaces and the acetabular cup with the patient's particular anatomy may adversely impact the time available to the surgeon to address other aspects of the implantation procedure.
Thus, there remains a need for improved orthopedic medical devices for use in revision acetabular surgeries. The present invention addresses this need and provides other benefits and advantages in a novel and non-obvious manner.